So, of course, the two met on the field Sunday before Jones' Cowboys took on Holmgren's soon-to-be-former Cleveland Browns. Nothing to see here, people.

"Well, we had the visit that we always have when he comes, when I come to where he is," Jones said, via the Dallas Morning News. "We're good friends. We served for about seven or eight years on the competition committee together ...

"We visited about all the things that we normally visit about. He's a really -- apart from being an outstanding coach -- he's a heck of a man. He's got a lot of character, and I can't tell you how much I respect him. When you're close like that and spend a lot of time with somebody, familiarity can breed contempt. It's just the opposite with him."

Had Garrett's squad, which sleepwalked for most of game, lost at home against a bad Browns team, the pair's chummy talk would have stoked more flames of speculation. Even with the Cowboys' 23-20 overtime win, questions about Garrett's job will persist if his team continues to play down to competition and commit critical mental breakdowns.